Appalachian Trail (28-June-2016)

With the forecast showing rain for the day, I thought it would be a good day for a hike on the Appalachian Trail. I called up Andrew Gaerthe to see if he wanted to go along for a clean-up and we decided on the section between Little Gap and Lehigh Gap. It is an area I go to on a regular basis and I wondered with the summer and increased hikers if it would once again be trashy. 

As we headed up the mountain the clouds kept the hike cool, but there was no rain. Did find several bottles on the way up. Very little compared to other times and the campsites along the trail also had very little trash.

Once at the top of the mountain we diverted from the AT and took an access road that heads strait out to Lehigh Gap. Around this area Andrew mentioned how much the mountain has changed over the years. A decade ago, with the exception of a handful of trees, this area was all barren rock. Deposition of heavy metals from a zinc smelting facility in the valley had killed off the plant life and the soil had washed away with rain. Reclamation projects continue today and so far have made a huge difference.

There are some patches that still resemble what the mountain looked like in the past. Every year these areas get a little smaller and the mountain fills in with more green. 

Near Little Gap we got back on the AT to work our way back to Little Gap. On the top of the mountain there was very little trash at all. In some sections we went over a mile without seeing a single piece. It was nice to see so little trash, the last trip up here was similar. The only problem with this trip was that the forecast ended up not being correct. For over half the time we were on the top it was full sun and it got hot. All around us were clouds, but directly overhead was a patch of blue sky and the sun shinning through. 

Penny was along as well and she did not like the sun or the heat. This is her taking a break in the shade towards the end. 

On the way out Andrew spotted this Eastern Rat Snake. Rat Snakes are very beneficial to our environment and if you ever see one around your house they are most likely there to help you with a pest problem. They eat rodents, in the wild they help keep rodent populations down and around your house they would be doing the same thing. As this small Rat Snake in the photo above demonstrates, Rat Snakes are good at climbing trees. This allows them to prey on bird eggs as well. If you ever encounter a snake in the wild, give it respect and keep your distance. As long as you stay five feet or more away, even a venomous snake is harmless. 

I thought it was pretty cool that we hiked eight miles and this was all the trash that we found! Thank you Andrew for going along!

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA